Books N' Stuff 12-13-2011

Just finished reading Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett.  From the City Watch line of the Discworld series, a fun fiction read in Pratchett's fantastical universe.  Pratchett has a wit about him that makes his creations very enjoyable.

Fall 2011 Vineyard Update

Fall update on the vineyard

Ski Season Approaches

I got some shorter skis!

My old skis are some circa1998 Salomon Equipeaxe Dr 150 -197cm.  Their best performance happens on large radius turns and hard, packed snow.  Basically designed for bombing down the hill, not fighting through powder.

The new skis are 2007 Atomic Supercross 10M - 170cm.  Pretty good for most things (I hope), and a massive bit shorter.

Four Hot Springs Excursion

Last weekend, we went to several different hot springs.  We trekked to Givens hot springs on Friday.  On Saturday, we headed to Kirkham hot springs, then up towards Stanley, head off at bear valley towards Deadwood reservoir, then to Warm Lake.  From Warm Lake, we drove north to Milepost 16 hot springs.  We then drove north to Lick Creek summit, and dropped into McCall from the East.  Sunday, we went to Burgdorf hot springs, enjoying the brisk fall weather.

XL80S

I've fixed up one of our family's motorbikes.  It's a Honda XL80S.  I've ridden it to work a few times.  Even on some cool and rainy mornings.  It's exciting driving on the road when your top speed is 45 mph downhill.  I also recently picked up an iPad.  I've decided I wanted to use a tablet to make some artwork, as well as whatever tablets are good for.  My first iPaintmash is exhibited here as the motorbike.

Updated Satellite Imagery

Google has updated their satellite imagery of the vineyard.  The Frankenshed is visible, and you can see the orientation of the rows.  Looks like they are almost perfectly north/south oriented.

Reading 9-27-2011

I've been reading the Last of the Mountain Men, by Harold Peterson.  It's an interesting window into the lives of those who lived in the Idaho wilderness.  With plenty of information about gold rushes and ghost towns and the hard characters of the old west.
I also have been reading the library's One Man's Wilderness by Sam Keith, a book about Richard Proenneke.  Proenneke was an adventurer that built his own cabin and tools in the Alaskan wilderness.
I also got a copy of Constitutional Government in the United States by Woodrow Wilson.  I'm interested to read about his interpretation of the Constitution which has apparently been pretty landmark for the last hundred years.  I think he was such an interesting president to lead the nation during World War I, help to found the League of Nations, which the congress did not endorse.  Interesting in that there is some parallels to the United Nations and how it's not exactly a elected representative force of our populace.
I also checked out a copy of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré.  It's apparently an upcoming movie with Gary Oldman.